Florida 2009

The Everglades: Unique, Magical, Mystical. Photographs taken by Margaret Evans October/November 2009. It may take a lifetime to fully appreciate all that the Everglades National Park in southern Florida has to offer. The territory covers 1.4 million acres of water-covered land and is home to more than 300 species of birds in addition to numerous reptiles, invertebrates, mammals and innumerable species of trees and plants. The Park has been designated a World Heritage Site, an International Biosphere Reserve, and a Wetland of International Importance. This mosaic of mangroves, cypress swamps, hardwood hammock, and sawgrass wetlands is the only subtropical preserve in North America.

Professor Margaret Evans is a faculty member in the Communication/Journalism Department at Shippensburg University. The photographs in this exhibit were taken during a fall 2009 sabbatical leave project in the Florida Everglades.

The territory now known as the Everglades National Park has endured numerous transformations that have threatened the very existence of this unique place. Many of these threats continue today. The nearly 17,000 square miles of irreplaceable biological treasures are protected within the Park’s boundaries. Nevertheless, highways, condominiums, and strip malls compete for space along the perimeter, encroaching on the habitation and safety of the inhabitants of the Park.